Draft gear



P 1932- F. s. CHEATHAM 1,375,704

DRAFT GEAR Filed June 19, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3 I: f w 231% W TOR PER4 Ava/V14 4 ATTORNEYS Scpt. 6,1932.

F. S. CHEATHAM DRAFT GEAR Filed June 19, 1.929

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 in draft gears for railway cars of the class gear hasbeen activated. Y

Patented Sept. 6, 1932 FRANK s. CHEATHAM; OF SAVANNAHQ'GEORGIAApplication filed n 19,

This invention relates to improvements utilizing springs andbearing-shoes and an expandlng mechanlsm for thebearlngshoes acting onbuiiirig or pulling to eife ct frictional and spring resistance],wherein wedgeshaped friction blocks coact to form the expandingmechanism as more fullyhereinafter set forth- 1 The particular objectsin View are to provide, in'a gear'of'this typeymeans fordistending thebearing-shoes and compressing resistance springs thereto" connected"with variable pressure proportional to thestrain, utilizing a pair ofwedge-shaped frictionblocks to distend the bearing-shoes and-effectcompression of the resistance springs,-and

simultaneously imparting, by ,means 'of the coacting," overlapping;wedgeshaped friction-blocks, the surplus energy to oneend of the gearwhen and afterth'e other endof the In the drawings annexedposition andthe gear beinghalfin'full and half in section; the section being takenthrough the longitudinal center-lineof the 'ear- 1 b Fig. 2 is an endelevation of the" gear as assembled,similarlyshowing half in full andhalf in section, the section being taken through the vertical centerline'o'fthe gear; Fig. 3 is aside elevation, showing half in full andhalf in seotiorifthe section being taken through the vertical centerline of the gear; v Figs. 4, 5 and 6 areviews of one of the double webmembers; a p 3 Figs. 7, 8 and 9-are views of the other doublewebmember;1 "Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are views of one ofQthe shoes3; p

Figs. 13 and 14: are views of-"thecap or socket for holding spring 8; A

Figs. 15 and 16 are views ofone ys; H

Figs. 17 and 18 are views of one of the antifriction rollers for theshoes 3;

of I the work against apair of shoes 3, enclosed in Fig." 22 is a groupview. ofJthe' springs 8 and 9.

" Referring to the drawings] by reference-= numerals, 1 indicates abifurcated double wedge-shaped friction-block having a tongue 1 wherebyit may' be connected to a car-coupler, either'directly or throughintermediate means; A double wedge-shaped 00 g friction-block 2 works inthe bifurcation or 'longitudinal'slotiof the friction-bl'ock land isconnectedby suitable meansto' the other carcoupler. Each of theffrictionblocks"l and 2is provided with a pair of longitudinal 05 slots 1 and 2respectively, corresponding slots of the said'friction-blocks beingoppomal position.

site one another whenthergear is in its nor- The wedge-shaped frictionblocks 1 and'2 U housings 4,'whose movement is facilitatedby a means ofrollers 5. The housings 4 are atfixed to the car-sills 4 by rivets 4 orotherwise. The outward movement of the shoes 3 is opposed by springs 9that tend to restore all the parts of the gear to normal position. Thelongitudinal slots 1 and.2? ofthe friction-bloclis 1i and 2respectively,'are connected by a pair ofkeys 6. ;Any a ction io nathe'30 part of the said'keys is opposed springs 8, retained by a pairofspring-rests- 7 tened to the extremities'of the keys 6;

i The operation of thegear is as follows.

When a blow is delivered'to the gear on L3 any intermediate car of atrain by means of tongue l 'to'the wedge-shaped frictionblock 1, theaction of the latter forces 'apartfthe shoes 3 against the action lofthe springs 9 causingsho es 3 to act simultaneously against '95 rollers5 and thus againstsides ofhousings 4 in'the momentum direction.Thefforce.

that each car accepts from the original force isthus 'divided'into twocomponents, first, a

lateral component to stabilize resistance and, 5

second, a longitudinal component tO create momentum. The keys 6" havetheir ends projecting throughslots in the usualsills of the car. It isoptional whethe'ror not these keys shall-abut the ends of these" slotsyin the slots.

'verse direction, as is obvious when either of L the wedge members ispulled. It will be ob Fig. 1 they are shown in abutting relation withthe ends of the slots. WVhen the keys thus abut the ends of the slots itwill be seen that when either wedge block 1 or 2 is pushed the near key6 will be immediately unseated from slots in the center sills but thefar key will not be unseated until the resistance of the adjacent carcauses it to be unseated, i. e., forced toward the other key; but thisunseating of the far key will be almost instantaneous as it will takebut a fraction of alsecond to bring into action the resistance necessaryto unseat it. When the two keys are thus unseated from the center sillsby compression of the springs 8 the keys Virtually float in The actionis the samein the reserved therefore that the spirit of my idea is thatwith respect to all the cars in train the force from one car to theother be conveyed from one draw-bar to the other via the continuouscoupler stems and not through c the center sills of the car. And it willbe observed further'that whether the action be a pushing action or apulling action all four springs 9 will be brought into action by reason.of the v wedging action which the wedge members exert on their shoes 3;and

it will be further observed that when, both bars 1 and 2 are under apush or pull action, fourof the wedge faces on the wedges will always bein wedging contact with their companion inclined faces of each of theshoes 3, thus maintaining parallelism of the shoes 3 and compressing'allfour springs?) equally. In the case of only one car being buffed or thecar at the ends of a train, the action will ceived at the coupler isinstantly conveyed in full force to the gear via the coupler stems 1 and2% The gear immediately. is in action, giving to the car the necessaryforce to move 7 it, takinga'portion of the blow through its .bothbufiingand pullingblows, the essential springs-and: transmitting the surplus tothe other coupler. If both of the couplers are activated atabout thesame time, all the abutting force, it is likewise applicable to a draftaction, for in a buffing action the force is against the near key, butin a pull the energy is exerted on the far key. The whole gear action,as far as results are concerned, is exactly the same, with the samecapacity n and only difference existing in the action of s-thewedge-shaped friction-blocks 1 and 2 .which act in opposite longitudinaldirections with the difference in blows. It will be un derand that theinvention can be to pull out of the rigidly-anchored casing f eventhough the springs 9 be compressed to the, limit, so that each car willbe moved by the-force applied to its sills by its own draftgear.

In accordance with the provisions of the of, but I desire to have itunderstood that the apparatus disclosed is only illustrative carried outby other means. 7

What I claim as new is:

1. In a draft gear, the combination of a casing affixed, to thecar-structure, a pair of v oppositely-movable double wedges, onebeing Ibifurcated to. receive the other to thus'cause them tooverlap each otherand to have their to a draw-bar ofthe car, and springspresseddouble-wedge friction blocks normally pressing againstall the adjacentinclined, facesof both said wedge members and having theirendsin-abutting relation with said casing,

key means extending through elongated slots in both wedge members, saidkey means being extended laterally beyond the wedge members and havingcompressible springs arranged, between their respective ends.

2. In a draft'gear, the combination of a casing affixed tothecar-structure, a pairof oppositely-movable draw-bars having their endsextending into said casing from opposite ends and overlapped, saidoverlapped ends having theiropposite faces shaped to form double wedges,the inclined faces of'which are co-incident, saidoverlapped portionsbeing provided with 'co-Iin'cident slots, keys extending through saidco-incident slots and springs interpositioned' between these keys tonormally press the keys toward the opposite ends of'said slots, twopressure shoes, one arranged at each side of said overlapped wedgemembers and each having four inclined surfaces normally engaging thefour adjacent inclinedsurfaces of both" wedge members, the ends of saidshoes abutting the 'end-walls-of the casing, and springs forcing 1 saidshoes against said wedge members.

In: testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature. v

- FRANK SJGHEATHAM.

